This claim, which has been out of date for some time, is still popular in certain circles. Smart learns from others mistake fool from his own. Which is not the case, or not entirely true. And you know why.
The one who utters this slogan should show someone who has not yet made a mistake in her or his life. Anyone. According to Goethe the famous German poet, only those who do nothing do not make mistakes. Would the person who does do nothing be the smartest in the world following this logic? What is the truth?
In fact, the smart really learns from other people’s mistakes, but even more so from his own, but the stupid doesn’t even learn from his own. He repeats the same mistake over and over again, just because he is convinced that he is smart. And if he loses, because he always loses, he also tells himself that it wasn’t his fault. Others are to blame. He is a victim of circumstances.
Either way, he ideologises the cause of his failure, which is never himself. That way, there is nothing to stop him from repeating his mistakes. His arrogance, vanity and egoism will not allow it not to be so. In that case the fool should admit he is not a God, and this in his case means that he is not smart. Being smart means for him, being flawless and perfect. But the truth is the opposite.
The smart is fully aware of his own limitations. As result before he becomes master, takes the risk of being disaster. Mistake is the best teacher. Learning from other people’s mistakes is important, but that alone is not enough to avoid your own, or not always. Because something can only and exclusively be learned through your own experience. And these are the most important lessons.
You can see in vain what a driver does wrong when driving if you’ve never driven before. Your path is unique, just like everyone else’s. No one will ever see the world the way you see. Individual mistakes, just like individual experiences, cannot be replaced by someone else’s. If you are willing to own your own mistakes you outsmart yourself. But not only yourself but those who are not willing to do so.
However, that is not all. Smart is not only smart because it learns from mistakes, but because he learns from success as well. From success of others. But he doesn’t stop learning once he wins. Although stopping to learn is a way bigger temptation for winners than for losers.
Because both success and failure are temporary. Both are illusion in some sense. One does not follow from the other. Success is not granted. One thing is sure, you’re not fool as long as you don’t stop learning.
And that’s it for today. Thanks for reading!